Thill for vehicles



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

G. H. HUTTON.

THILL FOR VEHICLES. I No. 399,537. Patented Mar. 12, 1889. K

WITNESSES:

INVENTOR:

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. H. BUTTON.

THILL FOR VEHICLES.

No. 399,537. Patented Mar. 12, 1889.

Ti- U INVENTOR 5 z ,z y a;

BY CAM, A an MM ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THILL FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 399,537, dated March 12, 1889.

Application filed November 28, 1888. Serial No. 292,104. (No model.)

To (LZZ 107.2071]. [2i may ounce/ 12 Be it known that l, Gnonon ll. ll'u'nron, a 1 citizen otthc tnited Statesrcsiding'at Baltimore, in the State of .\iaryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1 in Thills for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to inunovmnents in l shafts for vehicles, and is illustrated in the l drawings herewith; andit has tor its objects. to so construct; the shafts and their conneetions that the said shafts may be swung upwardly back over the body of the vehicle when not in use, so that the vehicle can be compactly arranged t or storage or transpor- I tat-ion.

Figure 1 a top view oi. the thills attached to the front axle of a vehicle. Fig. 2 isa side "iew ot a carriage, shown with one front wheel removed in brder to plainly illustrate the connection of the thill and axle. in this figure the thills are turned up and past the dash-board. l ie'. I3 is av top view of the spririg-yielding trace-hook device. Fig.4 is a side view of same. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the hook and part of the box, and shows the spring. l ig's. t) and Tare views of the bottom part of the box. Fig. 8 is a view of the outside branch of the thill.

The letter A designates the right-hand l shaft, and A the let't hand shaft. These two shafts are entirely separate or independent i from each other. No cross-bar unites them, i as is commonly the case, and no singletreeis employed. 7 At the end where it is coupled to the axle each shaft has an inside branch, I), and an outside branch, I), and each branch has an eye, 0, by which it is bolted to the thill-coupling D, which unites it to the axle E. These branch ends Z) Z) thus coupled to 1 the axle form a joint which allows of the de- 1 sired movement up and down, but prevents the shatt from turning laterally, and gives it great: stability. It will be noticed that the l main branch I) of the shaft hasa down curve, l

f, of usual form, while the other or outside branch, l), instead of likewise curving down, 1 extends straight, at g, from its point of union with the thill to the eye 0. The

branches 1), being located 011 the outside of the shafts, brace the same,while they leave a t verity ot the strain.

space between the two unobstructed, so that the shafts can be turned back on each side of the vehicle body in rear of the dashboard N.

Each shaft is provided with a sp1'ingyielding' trace-hook, ll. These devices are in 00111- bination with the independent shafts, as they supply the yielding movement which a pivoted sing'letrce at'tords to accommodate the action oi? the animals shoulders in pulling alternately on the traces.

The trace-hook ll is attached to a shank, 1', which lits loosely and is movable in a box made of two pieces, jj, and having a slot, k, through which the hook H projects. A spiral spring, I, is in the said box, and is in contact with the shank 1' of the hook. The box has flanges m, by which it is bolted to the shaft.

The whole device cqnnpriscs only four pieces, the two parts/ of the box, the hook, and the spring.

\\'l1en the hook ll is subjected to the strain occasioned by a pull on the trace, the spring I will yield more or less, according to the sc- This improvement also facilitates booking the harnessed horse between the shafts, and enables the animal, in use one fore wheel is in a deep rut or hole, to give a direct pull on that particular side.

Obviously the construction of the springyielding tra ce-hook and its box may vary from that here shown.

I11 the present instance thetrace-hook box is shown bolted on top of the shaft; but it will be readily understood that it may be 10- cated on the inner side of the thill.

Having described my invention, I clain1- The combination,with the shafts A A, having an unobstructed space between them, of the branches b b, secured to the outside of shat ts, and a spririg-yielding trace-hook attached to each of. said shafts, the whole arranged to operate substantially as shown and described, and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereofl affixmysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. l-lL'TTON.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN E. Mourns, Jxo. T. MADDOX. 

